Spark plugs

TwistedKestrel said:
It's not a coating. The electrode is made entirely out of platinum, copper, or iridium. It ablates over time.

On that note, wtf am I looking at? Is that ice crystals?
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Seems terribly wasteful to use something as rare as platinum and especially iridium in sparkplugs if it is more than just a coating.

Yeah it is ice crystals. I pulled them in February because I was trying to figure out what had happened to the car. Had new plugs and new wires. Turned out it was the coils. I like to share that picture sometimes because its just so cool (to me) we have all seen how to read plugs pics in technical manuals, and then there is mine with flowering crystals that look like leaves.

The crystals lasted long enough for me to snap the photo with the phone then disappeared.
 
alhope34 said:
The plugs I have are just basic OEM NGKs and thats what I got from the dealer too. I asked for iridiums, but the guy said unless you're tuned specifically to use them the bike will probably run better on the OEM type. I just said ok, sure, cause I really didn't care all that much.
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alhope34 said:
Oh ok didnt know some phones are different cause I can see them. 2012 zx6r.
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The stock plugs for a '12 ZX6R should be iridium CR9EIX or EIA's, prob would be regular tip iridium from the factory. That does not mean the CR9E would not work fine - they will for quite some time.

Changing plugs out of that bike takes about an 1h - 1-1/2 hours for me. Air box needs to come out.

If you need help changing them out PM ME. (Check out my review in the review section)

The copper CR9E should be changed out 10-12k, the stock Iridiums can wait until you need your valves checked / adjusted at 22-26k. If you are paying someone to change out your plugs, might as well pay the extra few dollars for better plugs (iridums) and not have to change it as often.
 
frekeyguy said:
The stock plugs for a '12 ZX6R should be iridium CR9EIX or EIA's, prob would be regular tip iridium from the factory. That does not mean the CR9E would not work fine - they will for quite some time.

Changing plugs out of that bike takes about an 1h - 1-1/2 hours for me. Air box needs to come out.

If you need help changing them out PM ME. (Check out my review in the review section)

The copper CR9E should be changed out 10-12k, the stock Iridiums can wait until you need your valves checked / adjusted at 22-26k. If you are paying someone to change out your plugs, might as well pay the extra few dollars for better plugs (iridums) and not have to change it as often.
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Thanks for the great info. Didnt know oem would be iridium. Valve clearance only needs to be done at 42 or 48k kms on my bike, I forgot exactly so ill get a new set of iridium and get them changed at 24k then again at valve check like you said.
 
alhope34 said:
Thanks for the great info. Didnt know oem would be iridium. Valve clearance only needs to be done at 42 or 48k kms on my bike, I forgot exactly so ill get a new set of iridium and get them changed at 24k then again at valve check like you said.
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As per the service manual, 42K for valve check adjustment - that's just amazing.

Stick with cheap coppers and do them every 12k as it calls. and do the valves at 42k as it called.
 
frekeyguy said:
wow. thats just odd.

Almost every new bike I take apart that uses CR9's - they are iridium, even the lower end 650R's had iridium plugs stock from the factory.
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Maybe at the factory they found it cheaper to stock just iridiums across the board rather than having multiple types although the manual calls for copper they use whatever is on the line at the factory.
 
taximan62 said:
Maybe at the factory they found it cheaper to stock just iridiums across the board rather than having multiple types although the manual calls for copper they use whatever is on the line at the factory.
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I'm not sure if the '12 actually actually has iridiums in their motors or copper from the factory...but you are 100% correct about what the factory manual calls for. Looked back at manuals from the old 03/04-636 , 05/06'-636, 07/08's-599 to the newer zx6r's they all seem to call for the copper CR9E's. I haven't had a chance to work on a '12 ZX6Rs internals yet (too new to have issues), so I am not excately sure what is actually in those bikes from the factory.

Stuff like R6's, triumph 675's, even the less expensive entry level ninja 650R all had iridium from the factory when I took them apart.

The iridiums, especially CR9 size are a fraction of the cost more for iridiums (IX/EIA), personally I would pony up the extra few $$/ea and put in iridiums. It would make cold startups that much easier and burn improper fuel mixtures better (but these are all FI motors with O2 sensors - less of an concern)

Even older stuff like Honda F4i's with their silly honda shoulder had iridium.


If the manual calls for a CR9E - OP can stick with that plug and no be overly concerns with issues.
 
frekeyguy said:
I'm not sure if the '12 actually actually has iridiums in their motors or copper from the factory...but you are 100% correct about what the factory manual calls for. Looked back at manuals from the old 03/04-636 , 05/06'-636, 07/08's-599 to the newer zx6r's they all seem to call for the copper CR9E's. I haven't had a chance to work on a '12 ZX6Rs internals yet (too new to have issues), so I am not excately sure what is actually in those bikes from the factory.

Stuff like R6's, triumph 675's, even the less expensive entry level ninja 650R all had iridium from the factory when I took them apart.

The iridiums, especially CR9 size are a fraction of the cost more for iridiums (IX/EIA), personally I would pony up the extra few $$/ea and put in iridiums. It would make cold startups that much easier and burn improper fuel mixtures better (but these are all FI motors with O2 sensors - less of an concern)

Even older stuff like Honda F4i's with their silly honda shoulder had iridium.


If the manual calls for a CR9E - OP can stick with that plug and no be overly concerns with issues.
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All they way up to 2014 the zx6r comes with regular CR9E

I actually just got back from CT, I bought CR9E for $8.49 +tax for a pack of 2

I also bought CR9EIX for $12.99 + tax each

So it's more then double the price for iridium, but as long as you don't buy them from a dealer your not going to pay $25 each
 
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JohnnyP636 said:
All they way up to 2014 the zx6r comes with regular CR9E

I actually just got back from CT, I bought CR9E for $8.49 +tax for a pack of 2

I also bought CR9EIX for $12.99 + tax each

So it's more then double the price for iridium, but as long as you don't buy them from a dealer your not going to pay $25 each
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I am a bit surprised with kawi sticks to the copper 9E's in the ZX6r's, when everyone has switched over to iridium. A bit odd - but I wonder why though...
 
My bike manual specifies both a cold and a hot grade for the plugs which is kind of nice because a long time ago (and probably still applicable today for bikes like mine that is air cooled) the cold grade was selected for long highway runs and/or pulling a heavy load while the hot grade was selected for short city trips and idling.
 
Looks like my bike is specced for copper plugs too. 5k inspect, 10k replace. 3 heat ranges identified from 2 manufacturers.

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frekeyguy said:
I am a bit surprised with kawi sticks to the copper 9E's in the ZX6r's, when everyone has switched over to iridium. A bit odd - but I wonder why though...
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The only manufacturers I know that runs iridium plugs from OEM is Honda and now Suzuki. Honda has always used NGK laser iridiums, giving them a long 28,000km I think it is service interval. However try buying them at a Honda dealer and your in for $25 pet plug! Or in the instance of a friend if mine someone backing into her bike knocking it over and left it on the side, after hours of sitting like that it flooded the cylinders and fouled the plugs. Bike had to be towed, image her surprise when Honda told her over $100 for new plugs alone not including installation

Personally I do no notice a performance difference between them besides life. And it's not like it's free extra life, your paying more for more life. If you are Somone like me that changes my plugs often myself in 30min. Then there is no great benefit for using iridium, I'm more concerned about changing them often rather then having iridium for the sake of having iridium. Changing them more often is more valuable to me then having iridum. I also run race fuel in one if my bikes that likes to eat spark plugs. So again rather then burn up expensive plugs is rather just change out regular ones more often.

However times are changing, you never used to be able to buy iridum plugs at places like CT for under $20 each. Now that they are coming down in price you will see more bikes coming with them and more people buying them to replace regular plugs. Keep in mind the lasers are their cheaper iridium plug bit their best so there is also more expensive iridium options. My kawi kit race manual calls for NGK total loss plugs with no electrodes. I priced those plugs out at $400 a set...
 
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My primary interest in plugs at the moment is to run the one that will provide the hottest spark that will ignite 91 gas. I think that is usually copper but I have read that iridium plugs can ignite "lean" mixtures easier than others and since many manufacturers run lean these days to pass EPA testing I find myself wondering if there is a way it can be measured scientifically with a device whether a specific electrode is firing better than another for a specific fuel.
 
Sunspark said:
My primary interest in plugs at the moment is to run the one that will provide the hottest spark that will ignite 91 gas. I think that is usually copper but I have read that iridium plugs can ignite "lean" mixtures easier than others and since many manufacturers run lean these days to pass EPA testing I find myself wondering if there is a way it can be measured scientifically with a device whether a specific electrode is firing better than another for a specific fuel.
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Go to a shop that has a dyno with gas analyzer , they should be able to see which plug burns the fuel better.

If you are talking about heat range in a plug, you can try hotter spec plugs not just iridium vs copper
 
JohnnyP636 said:
Go to a shop that has a dyno with gas analyzer , they should be able to see which plug burns the fuel better.

If you are talking about heat range in a plug, you can try hotter spec plugs not just iridium vs copper
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Nah heat range is a misnomer for what I am thinking about. As you know, the heat range thing is how much heat stays in the plug vs conducting it out to the engine. A spark produced by a thin electrode is probably different in size than one produced by a fat electrode. And this is part of why I wonder because iridium uses a thinner electrode than copper.

To explain more about why I am thinking about it, my bike model does run lean due to EPA and some people with it have had stalls coming to/being at a stop. Some compensate for it by raising the idle a bit or keeping the throttle on a bit while coming to a stop. It makes me wonder if the occasional stall is not actually a too-lean situation. And if so if perhaps the unproven stated on the Internet statement that iridium works better with lean mixtures and is 1/2 grade hotter than the equivalent in copper might resolve the stalling at stops in city issue.
 
Give Champion Cycle a call. You might be surprised how reasonable the price is to do a couple of runs to sort out performance issues.
 
Twotons said:
Give Champion Cycle a call. You might be surprised how reasonable the price is to do a couple of runs to sort out performance issues.
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+1 dyno tuning can get really expensive because of the time and labor involved with tuning and re tuning and dyno then re dyno.

Dyno runs to tests simple changes like plugs is much cheaper

We Just got some business from champion cycle a few weeks ago for powder coating, so I will be speaking with them about having my track bike dyno tuned very soon
 
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